Category Archive: Land Scaping

Ask a person about his or her body’s problem areas, and you get a laundry list of complaints-double chins, thunder thighs, love handles-that would make self-styled weight-loss experts rail against the evils of carbohydrates. Ask a do-it-yourselfer about his or her home improvement headaches, and you get a litany of lamentations-drought-prone areas, rocky terrain, small spaces-that could discourage any property owner from ever picking up a bucket and shovel. But while most fad diets and weight-reduction programs force you to adapt lifestyle changes your body isn’t accustomed to, thereby increasing their chances of failure, good landscape design solutions are often less drastic and more sustainable. Effective front and backyard landscaping ideas allow your designs to work with its natural conditions and not against them. It’s one of the cheap landscaping ideas that will save you setup and maintenance costs. With proper implementation of good landscape design solutions, you can achieve home landscapes that are guaranteed to generate double-takes from passers-by and enhance your property’s curb appeal.

Desert landscaping designs for drought-prone areas

Elementary science has taught you that the Earth is made up of 70 percent water, and you wonder why your home has to sit on the driest, sun-scorched part of the remaining 30 percent. Conventional garden and landscaping ideas can be too dependent on water. Living in water-starved areas does not mean abandoning your garden and landscaping ideas, your dream of having lush home landscapes can still be accomplished. There are a couple of landscape design solutions that address problems affecting drought-plagued areas. One of these landscape design solutions follows the principle known as xeriscaping, which advocates the use of vegetation that is well-adapted to drought conditions. Proper xeriscaping is achieved by using low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plants and trees and arranging plants with similar irrigation needs together in your home landscapes. Additionally, drought-resistant ‘desert landscaping’ design solutions also entail making improvements to the soil and limiting the use of turf. This is one of the best cheap landscaping ideas because working with the soil makes maintenance easier and less expensive. Which is why we advocate a type of desert landscaping with drought proned areas.

Another one of these drought-resistant landscape design solutions involves efficient irrigation. Sprinklers deliver a large amount of water in a short period, but lose a significant amount of moisture to evaporation. Good landscape design solutions recommend the use of low-volume trickle or drip irrigators and soaker hoses. These watering systems deliver moisture over a long period and tend to lose little water due to evaporation or runoff. Effective landscape design solutions also call for periodic inspection of your irrigation system to minimize water wastage. Check for clogs or leaks, and make sure your watering system is properly calibrated.

Landscape design solutions for rocky terrain

There is one fool-proof way to deal with rocks that keep getting in the picture: give the rocks the leading role in your home landscaping ideas. Of all the landscape ideas for rock-littered Lincolnshire landscapes, rock gardening often makes the most sense-you are making use of an indigenous resource and working with the natural conditions of your yard’s terrain. Yards with rocky terrain, eroding soil, rockless incline, or irregular grade changes are ideal candidates for rock gardens. Moreover, carefully placed rocks provide a nurturing microclimate for the plants for your garden landscaping. Like other good landscape ideas, rock gardens achieve the desired effect when they look natural and blend artfully with the existing background. Simplicity and ease of maintenance should guide your rock garden design, which means you should avoid complicated rock configurations and excessive plantings as much as possible. Landscape design solutions experts recommend using rocks of the same geological type and positioning them in such a way that they follow the natural contours of the terrain. Ask your local nurseries or agricultural extension offices for help in choosing plants that thrive on stony terrain.

Landscape design solutions for small spaces

Not every property owner has been blessed with a yard the size of Fenway Park, but even small spaces can look grand with the implementation of a few yard landscaping design solutions. Deriving maximum use out of minimal space requires artful yet practical application of elements and principles of landscape design. Set a theme for your home landscaping ideas by repeating color or structure. Provide good sequence or transition to various other areas to avoid leaving a cluttered look. Landscape design solutions for small spaces should slow people down in viewing or touring the unique garden landscaping so the yard feels bigger to them. You can make observers linger by establishing a focal point, such as a fascinating water feature, a unique plant, or an intriguing sculpture. Space-enhancing landscape ideas call for creating small, separate areas by installing a multistory deck or a patio. A water feature, such as a pond, that reflects the sky and surrounding surfaces can add depth and dimension to your home.

You will need some essential tools for grooming your lawn and making trimming easier. There are hand operated grass shears that work like scissors for trimming. These will also even edge smaller lawns. There are two types, short and long handled. The long handled grass shears are probably a better choice because they will allow you to stand while you trim your grass.

Probably the more popular trimmer is the string trimmer. These are available in both gas and electric forms. The electric form is fine if you have a smaller lawn, but your cord will not reach all areas in a larger lawn unless you extend the extension cord beyond recommended lengths. Also, electric trimmers tend to sometimes be a little more cumbersome because you must make sure you do not accidentally cut the cord. It must drag along behind like a vacuum cleaner cord. Both have nylon string that whirls rapidly and trims or edges the lawn as you squeeze the trigger.

Also available, and probably a little safer than string trimmers, are gas powered trimmers with reciprocating blades. They tend to eject less debris, are easy to handle and are fairly lightweight.

The string and blade trimmers may be used as edgers also, but if you’ll be doing a lot of edging along sidewalks, flowerbeds, and driveways, a device designed specifically for edging will probably be your best choice. There are several different types of edgers, but the two most popular are probably the turf edger and rotary edger. Both are manual and designed specifically to cut vertically, giving you that crisp look when edging a lawn.

Once you have your equipment, you’re ready to go. Edge and trim your lawn first instead of mowing first. This allows the lawn clipping generated by the edging and trimming to be picked up by the mower and collected as the lawn is mowed.

When trimming around trees and other plants, take extra care. If you accidentally use a trimmer and damage the cambium layer just under the bark of the tree, the tree may die. You should always wrap the base of the trunk with a protector before using a trimmer around the tree. These are available at many nurseries for a minimum price. Most are rectangles of heavy-duty perforated plastic that have been pre-rolled to stay in place around the trunk of the tree and will expand for larger trees. If you do not wish to protect your tree, every time you trim, you may want to install a mulch ring around the base of the tree. This will allow you to only edge and trim up to the mulch ring, saving the tree from accidental cutting.

Be careful when using any type of edger or trimmer around landscaping. These tools can, easily damage decks, concrete and stone patios. Take extra precaution when using around such construction.

Another form of edging is permanent edging. This type of edging can help maintain the shape of a lawn and reduce maintenance by keeping mulch, bedding plants, and groundcovers from infiltrating the lawn. Preformed edging also reduces damage from foot traffic, automobile tires and other sources.

There are a wide range of edging options available through nurseries, garden centers and home improvement stores. These include plastic, wood, masonry, decorative concrete sections, and even metal. Edging can be either flush or aboveground.

Above ground edgings are usually decorative and are anchored in the ground. In addition to the decorative look it provides, it also provides a physical barrier to keep materials such as mulch and stones from scattering onto the lawn.

Above ground edging styles all have benefits and drawbacks. For example, the wood edging is inexpensive and available in many styles, but in time, the wood may rot, even if it’s treated. Masonry, (bricks) are durable and widely available, but they’re very expensive and can be difficult to work with and install.

Some relatively inexpensive above ground styles would be timbers, ties, and stone. All are relatively inexpensive and durable and will not break down with the elements. However, all are hard to use on curved edges or slopes and they can leave an unbalanced look if you’re looking for a uniform presentation.

Another option is flush edging. This edging is sunk into the ground with only the lip of the edging present above the surface. This type of edging makes clear divisions in borders, but will not draw attention away form the border like some above ground edgings will.

Tip

Do not install edging after excessive rain. The ground may be swollen with moisture and the edging you install may move once the ground dries, creating an uneven look in your lawn.

The plastic rolls of flush edging also have benefits and drawbacks. A benefit would be that they are inexpensive and easy to install. However, they may need to be reinforced on a regular basis as the ground moves.

Another type of flush edging is metal. Although the metal is more durable than the plastic type, you need to make sure your edging is rust resistant. Many metal edgings will rust after being in the ground for a while, requiring replacement every so often.

Regardless of what type of edging you choose, you should use it where you need a clear separation in the landscape. For example, a flowerbed or sidewalk needs to be set apart from the rest of the lawn.

Project

Installing Preformed Edging

YOU WILL NEED: Preformed Edging; Stakes and string; Half-moon edger; Shovel; Sand; Hoe; Mallet.
Step One: Lay out the Line. If you’re lining a straight section, use stakes and string. If you are lining a curved section, use a regular garden hose to line the area you will be edging.

Step Two: Cut the Turf. Using an edger, slice the edge of the border and remove the sod. The edged section should be two inches wide and four to six inches deep depending on the type of preformed edging you’ve chosen.

Step Three: Add one to two inches of sand to the bottom of the trench for a stable base for the edging. Set the edging into the hole and use a level to keep it even.

Step Four: Use more sand in the trench to raise or less sand to lower the edging as desired. Once you have the preformed edging at the desired height, fill in the trench with soil on both sides of the edging.

Step Five: Continue laying the edging until the project is complete. Once all edging is in place and the soil is added to the sides, walk the line firming down the soil along the edging. Use the rubber mallet to pound in stakes that may be loose.

Picture this: Halfway through constructing the dream deck that would make your neighbor green with envy, you discover that you are building right on top of a drain field. Any do-it-yourselfer worth his lawnmower knows that constructing directly above drain fields is a big no-no. You’d be forced to tear down your work-in-progress to comply with safety regulations. Costly mistake.

This mistake could’ve been prevented if only you had carefully developed landscape plans for your property. Many homeowners would rather not develop landscape plans because they feel they could never justify the time and effort to do it. To be sure, drafting landscape plans is no child’s play; creating landscape plans requires thorough site analysis and needs assessment and may demand more than a rudimentary knowledge of landscaping. But its benefits, such as its potential to avert possible hazards or costly last-minute changes, make the task of developing landscape plans well worth the effort.

When embarking on the project of developing landscape, it is best to follow a step-by-step approach. Following a step-wise process when developing landscape plans allows you to break down the endeavor into easily manageable tasks and minimize mistakes along the way. Furthermore, creating landscape plans allows you to stay within budget and stick to a reasonable timetable.

Drawing a base plan for landscaping plans

The first step in creating landscaping plans is to prepare a base plan of your property. A base plan indicates the position and dimensions of your house and lot, the location of utilities, existing plant materials, property lines, buildings, driveways, walks, easements, topographic features, and ground characteristics. While a simple base plan would suffice at this point in the landscaping plans development phase, you’re better off drawing the base plan to scale. Any future drawing for your landscaping plans will be made on a tracing paper which you will place on top of the base plan, so it’s important to get it right. If you are developing landscaping plans for the first time and are a bit daunted by drawing a base plan to scale, you may obtain a scaled base plan from the builder, developer, or local government property records. The important thing is to start off on the right foot in order to ensure your landscaping plans are correct and accurate.

Conducting a site analysis for landscape plans

Conducting a site analysis of your property is the second step in developing landscape plans. A site analysis involves an examination of existing vegetation, natural features, house orientation, and utilities. When devising landscape plans, examine the current conditions of trees, plants, shrubs, groundcovers, and grasses. This helps ensure that your landscape plans will protect existing vegetation and create a setting that blends harmoniously with the natural environment. On this step of landscape plans development, you should also analyze natural features such as soil characteristics, rain fall distribution, wind pattern, micro-climatic conditions, and land form. They help determine plant selection and location, surface water drainage requirements, shade positioning, and location of activity areas, among other things.

Locating activity areas in landscaping plans

The third step in crafting landscaping plans involves locating activity areas in the landscape. In your landscaping plans, your landscape may be divided into three primary areas: public, private, and service. Public areas are the areas visible from the front of the house and the street and include the main entrance, the driveway, parking, sidewalks, and entryway plantings. Landscaping plans should blend the public areas into the neighborhood, provide convenient access, and enhance the home. Private areas extend the living area from the house into the landscape and may include decks, patios, garden rooms, and terraces enclosed by fences, walls, shrubs, or trees. Your landscaping plans should consider multiple use and convenient access, while ensuring privacy for private area users. Service areas in landscaping plans extend indoor service rooms like the kitchen, utility room and garage. When designing service areas for landscaping plans, emphasize convenience, orderliness, and accessibility. Landscaping plans usually call for service areas to be screened from the private and public areas.

Assessing family needs and desires for landscape plans

The fourth step in devising landscape plans involves assessing the needs and desires of the property’s occupants. Landscape plans should consider both current and future needs of the family. A newly married couple might want a play area included in the landscape plans to accommodate a child in the future or an extended family might integrate accessibility in the landscape plans for senior or handicapped members. Ask family members about what they want and expect from the landscape and incorporate their suggestions into the landscape plans. Your landscape can be both practical and aesthetically appealing to all members of the family if proper consultation during the landscape plans design phase is made.

Developing final landscaping plans

Constructing the final plan is the fifth step in developing landscaping plans. Plant selection and placement is determined in the final landscaping plans. The working budget and necessary materials should be properly outlined in final landscaping plans. Your final landscaping plans should give you an idea of how long before you can behold and enjoy the fruits of your landscaping labor. Moreover, final landscaping plans should emphasize optimal resource use and minimal maintenance. Consult your local environmental protection agencies and non-profit organizations about making your final landscaping plans energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

Brightly colored butterflies fluttering in the garden evoke feelings of joy and fancy in any person who beholds these delicate creatures. The sight of butterflies floating carelessly in the air may trigger childhood memories of chasing these majestic “flying flowers” across the family yard or bring about a greater appreciation of life as a never-ending cycle of change. It is this pursuit of beauty and awe, many times coupled with a strong commitment to nature conservation, which drives many gardeners high wycombeto build their own butterfly garden s. Have you ever considered making your own butterfly garden ? Butterfly gardening is an easy, enjoyable and rewarding pastime that, aside from shining a kaleidoscope of flying colors in your garden, also allows you to do your part in helping preserve natural wildlife habitats.

Identify butterfly species native to your area

The first step in making your own butterfly garden involves conducting an informal survey of butterfly species that are native to your area. Knowing what types of butterflies are local to your area will help you determine which flower and plant varieties these butterflies are attracted to and should be planted in your butterfly garden. Sunny spaces and woody patches in the neighborhood as well as nearby meadows, flower gardens and woodlands are some of the places where you can observe native butterflies. You may need to enlist the help of a butterfly field guide to correctly identify the native butterfly species.

Choose a location for your butterfly garden

Pesticides kill butterflies and caterpillars, and therefore, a pesticide-free environment is crucial to building a butterfly garden. If the threat of pests and insects bothers you, consider the use of biological controls or non-chemical alternatives such as insecticidal soaps and horticultural oils.

The intended site for your butterfly garden should have adequate sun, shade, and shelter from high winds. Butterflies are cold blooded, and they need the warm glow of the sun to increase their body temperature and as a source of energy. Shady areas in a butterfly garden give butterflies a place to cool off when the weather gets very hot. Butterflies expend a lot of energy when flying amidst strong gusts of wind, and so your butterfly garden must be sufficiently shielded from the wind to ease the butterflies’ flight.

Plant nectar sources in your butterfly garden

Nectar is the primary food source of many butterflies. To attract butterflies to your butterfly garden, you need to plant a variety of nectar-producing plants with different colors, sizes, and blooming periods. For year-round butterfly attraction, your butterfly garden must include different nectar sources that bloom from early spring to frost, when butterflies are most active.

Butterflies prefer plants with clusters of short, tubular flowers or flowers with large, flat petals, because it is easier for butterflies to land on clustered or larger flowers. Plants with clustered flowers also give butterflies access to more nectar sources in a single stop than plants with small, single flowers. Color also plays a significant role in arranging nectar sources in your butterfly garden. Butterflies appear to be more attracted to large flower masses of a single color or similar colors than to plants with many colors mixed together.

If you want to make your butterfly garden a fascinating showcase for the entire butterfly life cycle, make sure you designate feeding and breeding areas for several butterfly species. Butterflies prefer to lay their eggs on or near host plants that can be used as food by the larvae or caterpillars that hatch from the eggs. Wild, native plants make good host plants for butterfly larvae and caterpillars. Allocate a space where host plants can be grown to avoid uncontrolled weed invasion and minimize the possibility of an insect threat to other flowering plants in your butterfly garden.

Butterflies also like to congregate at puddles or small water pools to obtain essential salts and minerals that are found in the soil. You can install a permanent puddle in your butterfly garden by filling a container with water and burying it up to the rim in the soil. Shallow indentations in the soil where rain or sprinkler water has collected also make good puddles. Small pieces of overripe fruit left to stand in your butterfly garden can also serve as food supplements.

This doesn’t mean you can’t have variety and color in your beach landscape. It does mean that you should research salt tolerance before selecting expensive ornamentals for your garden.

The soil in beach landscapes is different that other regions. It contains more sand and far less nutrients than soil from other regions. The plants can’t absorb the plant nutrients in salty areas, so they will find it difficult to use what nutrients are in the soil. This makes plant selection critical in beach landscapes.

Fortunately, the choice of salt tolerant plants allows you to select plenty of great plants. Lantanas, ivy geraniums in baskets, kalanchoes, day lilies, and coleus provide color on the patio, in pots or in your garden. Crotons make colorful shrubbery or ornamentals and these plants obtain their full glory in the bright sun of

Beach landscapes are great when accented by seashells you collect yourself. Simply collect specimens you like, wash the sand and salt away, and use these gems just as if they were mulch, placing them over the soil in your garden. Select large specimens like conch for decorating the garden landscape. A large fishing net can be hung from a privacy fence and decorated with shells. Large glass buoys are also great garden landscape features whether hung along a fence or place in the garden design.

Southern beach landscapes are the perfect place for planting flowers such as orchids. The wonderful part about these fantastic display garden flowers is they require almost no care in humid beach areas. Simply water them during dry spells and let them grow. They will impress you with their blooms again and again. For beginners the cymbidium is an easy orchid to grow and is quite affordable for a first effort. You can build a garden arbor and hand orchids from it or hang the orchids under a large tree. You’ll love their beauty and your friends that visit you at the beach will be amazed at your green thumb, never knowing how easy these great plants are to grow in salty, humid beach areas. You don’t have to be a professional landscaper to make this work.

To make your beach landscape lush and tropical, you’ll need to select a species of turf grass that is very salt tolerant and chinch bug tolerant. With proper care, a little water during dry periods, the right turf grass will create a carpet-like lawn for your beach house.

Crowding a small patio will only make it appear smaller. So choose select pieces of seating and patio tables to fit your needs but keep furnishings minimal. Add reflective accessories anywhere possible to add the illusion of space. This can be achieved by adding small sculptures created from reflective metals. Installing patio doors which are mainly glass adds a sense of more open space so sliding glass doors are often perfect for this purpose.

Homes with more space have room for larger patios and more patio furnishings. A medium size patio can easily contain a patio set, several patio tables, and lounges for sunning. You’ll have space to add some plants and even a small fountain if you wish. A good type of patio door for a medium sized patio is a French door which consists of normal sized doors set side by side and opening in the middle. Both doors can be opened at once to provide a large, airy space for entry and exit to and from the patio.

A large home can easily support a large patio and provide a huge outdoor space for the family. If you have a large patio, you can add more patio furnishings but you still want to avoid making the patio appear overcrowded. A large patio is ideal for adding a patio fireplace or patio firepit. These can double as a means of cooking outdoors or you can add a traditional grill too. With a large patio you can create several conversation groupings of furniture to allow different people to become involved in different activities without disturbing one another.

A patio can be constructed of numerous materials. Frequently, patios are concrete slabs which may have a one of the many types of patio covers or a retractable patio awning. Often, patios are constructed of wood and sometimes called “decks”. These may have wooden rails around the patio and may or may not be covered with a patio cover of some type. Yet another type of patio is created by laying brick or stone in an attractive design. This construction is long lasting and very sturdy, requiring minimal maintenance.

No matter what type or size of patio you have or want to add, the best part of having a patio is enjoying the outdoors with your family and friends. Patios are perfect settings for barbecues and parties as well as family dinners. A patio also adds value to a home and makes it more desirable to buyers if you later wish to sell the home.

Window bird feeders can be placed near tinted windows so that you can watch the birds feed on the seed in the feeders, without frightening the birds with your presence.

If you like birds flying around your yard, watching them feed on the seed in feeders, then window bird feeders may be ideal. You can even place hummingbird feeders and watch the hummingbirds come towards your window to feed. Seeing those little birds with their little wings. I could watch them all day.

Most Birdfeeders Hang From A Tree

I know a lot of people who like birds, and most of them love to feed them in one way or another. Most have birdfeeders that hang from a tree, or they scatter seed outside when there is snow on the ground for the birds that have stuck around for the winter.

However, there are some very cool feeders out there that can bring you even closer to the birds that you love. You can get window bird feeders that will allow you to view them without scaring them off.

I first saw window bird feeders when I worked as a maid cleaning houses while going through college. I had no idea that they existed until I saw one, and I thought it was one of the coolest things I had ever seen.

These window bird feeders were right up against the window, much like a half a bowl. You would think that would scare the birds, but they were rather calm. The window had tinting on it near the feeder that allowed people in the house to watch without the birds even knowing they were there.

These window bird feeders are really great, but they do look as if they cost a pretty penny. If you want to invest in one, I can’t imagine that you would be sorry that you did so.

Make Your Own Feeders

However, if you want something similar, but you don’t want to spend quite as much, you can make your own alternative. You can have your window tinted and hang a few regular feeders out there. The birds will come but will not be able to see you if you come close to the window.

You can find either type of window bird feeders in stores near you, or you can find them online. Don’t forget to get some hummingbird feeders as well, as those can be a lot of fun to own, and the hummingbirds seem to love them.

Vary Your Seeds To Attract Different Birds

You may want to put different types of bird seed in your window bird feeders so that you can attract more than one type of bird, but try to find some that discourage squirrels because once they are in there, but birds will be much less likely to come and relax in your feeder.

Squirrels can be distracted by offering them their own food in squirrel feeders, set far away from your bird feeders. That usually keeps them away from the birds.

Your Invitation To Birds

Your yard can be become an invitation for birds and animals to wander around. You can see the birds flying to your window bird feeders and the squirrels head to your squirrel feeders. It will look so cool to see them all moving around your yard, locating the food you give them.

You and your family can watch them all from your tinted windows. I have found watching the birds far more relaxing then watching mindless television. One of my neighbors saw my feeders and she has asked me about installing bird feeders in her backyard.

I told her where to get the various feeders and helped her install them around the yard. I put the hummingbird feeders near the trees, to attract the hummingbirds living nearby.

But she loves to relax and watch the birds feeding from her window bird feeders.

Vegetable gardening tips are available at your nursery, online and your local gardening clubs. When you visit your local nursery, ask the staff about optimal growing conditions required for your seeds, plants and bulbs you are about to purchase.

Quite often, a lot of information is on the label with the plant, but it is often too generalized and you may want to hear more informed advice about growing in your local area.

You may get tips from your friends, but it may not work for your garden. It is better to get a professional opinion from qualified staff at the nursery. As is often the case, a lot of the plants you may buy as seedlings are grown by the staff at the nursery.

Helpful Gardening Tips

If you talk to any experienced landscape gardener Ealing they will happily volunteer information about their years of gardening and can be a great source of helpful tips. If you’re just getting started in vegetable gardening, it can be very reassuring to know that so much free advice is waiting for you and there are some very basic vegetable gardening tips you should follow.

First make sure that you choose disease resistant seeds and plants to ensure your vegetables have the best chance of survival possible. Usually your seed packets will list a plant’s resistance qualities.

Vegetable plants need optimum conditions to produce healthy roots leaves and fruits. This means lots of sun and well drained soil mixed with plenty of compost. If you fertilize your plants, stick with natural products like well rotted cow or horse manure.

Pull Out Those Weeds From Your Garden!

Add a 1 to 2 inch layer of mulch around the plants and over the surface of the garden. This helps keep weed seeds from taking root and holds in moisture. It also prevents disease carrying soil from splashing up onto the plants.

Use organic mulch,(as opposed to something like black plastic) that will break down over time and create compost. One of the best vegetable growing tips isn’t about vegetables but about weeds.

Weeds attract insects and insects will eat your vegetable plants and spread disease from one plant to another so be relentless when it comes to weeds. And don’t leave pulled weeds or any dead foliage in the garden. Most things can be composed but when it comes to diseased plants it is often best to burn them.

Bugs and Slugs

Get a jump on those insects by inspecting each plant on a regular basis. Look around stems and on the underside of leaves. If you do find an insect it is best to pick it off and dispose of it. Or in the case of tiny bugs or clusters of aphids, try spraying them with a solution of water and a couple of drops of dish detergent.

A favorite vegetable gardening tip that really seems to work involves slugs. These little creatures love to eat your leafy vegetables, or probably any vegetable for that matter, but there’s one easy way to get rid of them.

Place a disposable aluminum pie pan in the garden and heap soil up to the rim so the snails can reach it. Fill the pan to the rim with beer (any brand will do!) Snails will apparently drink themselves into a stupor and fall in and drown.

Vegetable Gardening Tips Abound

Adding some flowers such as marigolds, zinnias, or daisies to your vegetable garden, not only makes your garden look nice but will help bring in beneficial insects as well. These insects attack pests such as hornworms and aphids and will not harm your vegetable plants.

Gardening advice abounds on the internet, the local library, the garden center or as close as your next door neighbor. Never feel you can’t garden because you won’t know what to do. There’s always someone eager to share their vegetable gardening tips.

The Best Vegetable Gardening Tips

The best advice I have found is the advice you can get from qualified nursery staff. If you are about to buy a number of seedlings and you want to know about optimal growing conditions, they can pass knowledge about the best growing for your local area and climatic conditions.

Advice you get from the internet and other areas may not be specific to your local climatic conditions. You may receive a lot of rain, or alternatively receive little rain, so these local conditions would affect the growing plants in your garden.

Your soil conditions may affect your gardening. If you have the ideal well draining soil, then you should have a healthy garden. If you have a difficult soil, then you should get advice on how to make your soil more friendly to your garden. You may need to add a little sand to the soil, to make the soil more porous and better draining. You can get sand supplies Perth from reliable landscaping service provider.

To confirm you received the better vegetable gardening tips relevant to your garden, talk to a qualified gardener at your local nursery.

Preparing soil in rose gardens is the first step in producing healthy roses all summer. It’s not difficult, but each element is important. A rich loam base is the best foundation, and on top of this you should add both a thick layer of organic material and about three pounds of super-phosphate for each 100 square feet.

If you then till all of that into the soil, to the depth of about a foot, your flower gardening will have the best chance of success, as your roses will be starting out with plenty of nutrients.

Not all types of roses arrive in a garden the same way, nor are they planted in rose gardens by exactly the same means. Container plants, for example, are relatively easy to plant, just being tipped from the container and put into the ground.

Bare root plants, on the other hand, those with just roots and a few naked canes, need quick planting before foliage starts growing. They also need protecting for about three weeks with an eight inch cone of soil built around them. And boxed roses, without the cardboard, should be planted similarly.

The time for planting rose gardens varies depending on the plant, but you definitely have to wait until all danger of frost has passed. When it comes to bare root plants, you plant in the early spring, though other kinds of roses can be planted somewhat later.

The main thing is to take the steps necessary to create the healthy garden, from preparing the soil and planting in a sunny spot, to feeding and rose pruning afterward. Take this extra care with your roses, and they should thrive all summer long.

Ornamental grasses are usually only associated with ground gardens. However, they can be the perfect complimentary addition for a container garden. Grasses come in many heights, colors, textures and have varying water requirements, and this makes them perfect for a container garden.

Terraces, balconies, and entry ways can be enhanced by using ornamental grasses in the container gardens. These plants are so easy to master that the big decision will not be whether or not to use these decorative plants but which one to choose to accent the garden.

One of the main reasons to use ornamental grasses in containers is because of the low maintenance associated with these gentle plants. Most varieties of these ornamental plants do well in any pot of considerable size.

These plants are not difficult about the soil they thrive in either. Usually a rich potting mix with good drainage will be perfect for ornamental grasses. These hardy plants also can stand conditions drier than most container plants, so the maintenance is minimal. However, these plants still need to be fed twice monthly to ensure hardy and beautiful plants.

Red Fountain Grass

Ornamental grasses come is so many varieties a person will have a difficult time choosing just which plant will be used in the container. One type that is perfect for container gardening is Red Fountain Grass.

Fountain grasses will fill the container with an arching look and the deep burgundy color of this type of ornamental grasses will accent any dark green foliage that is used in the pot also.

Japanese Silver Grass

Another grass that is very popular is Japanese Silver Grass. This grass is one of the most popularly grown, and it does just as well in a container as it does in the yard or ground garden. This grass offers a softening effect and the white on the leaf will brighten up any space.

Ornamental grasses are perfect for container gardens. Low maintenance ensures that even the most green thumb challenged individuals can rarely kill these plants. The varieties that are available are too numerous to count, and the color that they offer will enhance any garden.

Movement And Sound

Ornamental grasses add two elements to the garden experience that are not readily obtained from many other plants: movement and sound. These grasses will look well against a dark background, and if they are properly placed they will be sure to catch either morning or evening light.

This beauty will only be enhanced by other plants that are included in the container.

Recent Posts

About Us

The first thing you need to think about when it comes to selecting the right landscaping plants is how they fit with your climate. For example, if you love a certain kind of plant and want to have it in your yard, the important thing is to make sure that it is adaptable with your climate.